Upcharge attractions. Would you pay to play?

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Would you pay to play for "in-park" upcharge attractions? (Look away Bob Chapek. look away!)

With the current discussions of Escape Rooms, The new Play! Pavilion (or whatever it's called aka Free Playground Arcade) and the next iteration of the Epcot interactive game featuring Ducktales... I got to thinking about how these attractions could theoretically be based on a pay to play format. Would such a concept even be feasible for Disney or would that be asking too much from it's guests? Would you pay X amount of money to go on an upcharge attraction "within" WDW?

 

[Shouldigo12]

Would you pay to play for "in-park" upcharge attractions? (Look away Bob Chapek. look away!)

With the current discussions of Escape Rooms, The new Play! Pavilion (or whatever it's called aka Free Playground Arcade) and the next iteration of the Epcot interactive game featuring Ducktales... I got to thinking about how these attractions could theoretically be based on a pay to play format. Would such a concept even be feasible for Disney or would that be asking too much from it's guests? Would you pay X amount of money to go on an upcharge attraction "within" WDW?

No. The parks are already at the upper limit of what I can justify paying; not that I don't really enjoy WDW, but a person with my salary really cannot justify upwards of $5,000 for a vacation where I may or may not be able to do what I want. Especially since I could take a pretty luxe vacation to Myrtle beach for half of the cost. If they started charging for attractions in the park separate from ticket price I would probably just call it quits.

 

[Santa Raccoon 77]

I would politely decline .

 

[Tavernacle12]

You already do at the Shooting Gallery in MK and the Dino-land booths.

I'm not opposed to it if it means real prizes (or keeping the Shooting Gallery around).

 

[DisneyAndADoleWhip]

It depends...normally I would say no. But I also did the Droid Depot my last trip, so maybe I’m in the “yes” camp now.

 

[WEDway Inc & Company LLC]

I'm not opposed to it if it means real prizes (or keeping the Shooting Gallery around).

Just curious- what do you consider a "real prize?" Hopefully not a generic dinosaur plush.

 

[skyphotographer]

Nope

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

I guess there has to be some distinction between what constitutes a game, a shop or an attraction. Although for Disney blurring that line would be in their favor. Frankly, I wouldn't be opposed to sliding a CC or swiping my Magic Band to play (hypothetically) the interactive Ducktales World showcase game. But it depends on cost and what if anything I get in return; besides time wasted. If after completing a quest, Uncle Scrooge McDuck gives me a stamped "Lucky Dime" for my efforts... I might consider it more. An upcharge with incentive sounds viable.

 

[WEDway Inc & Company LLC]

I guess there has to be some distinction between what constitutes a game, a shop or attraction. Although for Disney blurring that line would be in their favor. Frankly, I wouldn't be opposed to sliding a CC or swiping my Magic Band to play (hypothetically) the interactive Ducktales World showcase game. But it depends on cost and what if anything I get in return; besides time wasted. If after completing a quest, Scrooge McDuck gives me a stamped "Lucky Dime" for my efforts. I might consider it more. An upcharge with incentive sounds viable.

I totally agree with this. If Scrooge McDuck gave me an exclusive pressed coin or token, I'd be more than happy, but the prices have to be reasonable, too.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Probably not. We were not big fans of Disney quest and skip Dinorama all together, so doing games really isn't our "thing".

 

[Victor Kelly]

Nope, no way. I pay enough to just get in. If they did do it, it would be pay to enter then buy tickets to individual attractions, liek the original system.

So absolutely not. Deal breaker. I can do all my hobbies for less than half the cost of a $5000 Disney trip. And that includes upgrading my shooting gear and buying expensive model railroad stuff.

 

[SeaCastle]

Would you pay to play for "in-park" upcharge attractions? (Look away Bob Chapek. look away!)

With the current discussions of Escape Rooms, The new Play! Pavilion (or whatever it's called aka Free Playground Arcade) and the next iteration of the Epcot interactive game featuring Ducktales... I got to thinking about how these attractions could theoretically be based on a pay to play format. Would such a concept even be feasible for Disney or would that be asking too much from it's guests? Would you pay X amount of money to go on an upcharge attraction "within" WDW?

I don't think you're far off. The direction that the parks are taking points to this happening in the not-so-distant future. You have Magic Bands and Fastpass+ and already have primo extra-ticket experiences like Wild Africa Trek. There were concerns years ago when Fastpass was changing that deluxe resort guests would be treated to different kinds of fastpasses than guests in other hotels. The technology and means to implement something like that are there.

This would just be a turn back to the A/B/C/D/E ticket system they had when the parks first opened. But that would only make sense if prices came down to Earth, which I don't see happening.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

pay to play upcharges already exist int he parks.
EMM/DAH/dessert parties etc.

I go to the occasional party and have done the Frozen dessert party twice but other than that I don't think I'd literally pay to play like at an arcade setting.
I went to DisneyQuest once and thought it was terrible.
I've thought the last couple of incarnations of the innoventions games were pretty terrible.
I certainly wouldn't pay for something like that.
Just like I'd never play in the resort arcades. Heck this is why they gave you free 30 minute card with your vacation package because they couldn't get people to go in them.
If I want a play area and arcade games I'll go to Chuck E Cheese and give the rat my money instead of the mouse lol.

With that said I don't care what other people do with their time and money so if Disney wants to charge for something like that then I will just skip the experience and let others enjoy it.

 

[JIMINYCR]

It would depend on what it was and if it interested me enough to put more money out there. I am interested in doing an Escape room scenario sometime. There are a couple offered south of where I live, but far enough away that I wouldnt drive the distance just to do them. I would possibly try it if I saw it on property while we were at WDW and I had the time to devote to play.
The SW hotel interests me enough to pay to play when it opens.
If I'm on vacation the goal is to enjoy the experience as much as I can. I always take extra money on vacation just in case I find a good reason to use it.

 

[Hank Hill]

There are already many upcharge things to do in the parks that require you to pay admission to the park but also have to pay for once inside. All the tours are popular, heck even VIP experiences that cost a lot are clear they don't include park ticket. Then the dessert parties, BBB and Pirates makeup thing. As others have said, the dinoland games and shooting arcade. SM used to have an arcade too. Now you also have preferred parking, they tried cabanas in the park before, and preferred bus service. It isn't going to end, Disney will look to get more chances to add upcharge things to the parks. Some stick, some don't. And lines are still long, and people keep coming, and paying, for these things.

I was at a Six Flags that you paid extra to do a bungee type ride. Not sure that is a Disney style ride, but I could see them adding some kind of attraction that they charge extra for. I guess it depends on what it is and the cost. If I see a value in it, I would do it.

 

[Jon81uk]

There already are a lot of pay to do experiances that would be similar in scope to an Escape room.
Dessert Parties
Bibiti Bobbiti Boutique
Pirates League
Wild Africa Trek
Behind the Seeds tour
Keys to the Kingdom tour
Droid Depot
Light Saber experiance
and so on

Generally anything that is low capacity will be an extra cost, just to limit the number of people that can fit into the venue.

 

[NickMaio]

Nopers - - - I would not.

 

[Tavernacle12]

Just curious- what do you consider a "real prize?" Hopefully not a generic dinosaur plush.

I mean carnival prizes. DisneySea and California Adventure do have far better ones than Dino-Rama.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

There are already many upcharge things to do in the parks that require you to pay admission to the park but also have to pay for once inside. All the tours are popular, heck even VIP experiences that cost a lot are clear they don't include park ticket. Then the dessert parties, BBB and Pirates makeup thing. As others have said, the dinoland games and shooting arcade. SM used to have an arcade too. Now you also have preferred parking, they tried cabanas in the park before, and preferred bus service. It isn't going to end, Disney will look to get more chances to add upcharge things to the parks. Some stick, some don't. And lines are still long, and people keep coming, and paying, for these things.

I was at a Six Flags that you paid extra to do a bungee type ride. Not sure that is a Disney style ride, but I could see them adding some kind of attraction that they charge extra for. I guess it depends on what it is and the cost. If I see a value in it, I would do it.

Many amusment parks have pay to ride attractions on top of the admission price especially if they can milk the concept as "high thrill" or interactive in some way. I've been to a park where they turned a previously seasonal maze attraction into a year-round upcharge attraction complete with a giant scoreboard to show off your runtime/completion time. Same goes for the bugeee swing ride...

I don't think Disney would ever stoop to "Six Flags-level" cash grabs, but they're constantly inching closer and closer to that $tyle of thinking.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I'm a fan of premium merchandise experiences. Savi's, for example. Or the scavenger hunt maps they're doing at Animal Kingdom. But you have to *get* something.